Heating apparatus

ABSTRACT

An heating apparatus capable of efficiently heating an object having a complex surface configuration and fluids such as gases or liquids, and being simple, easy to handle, and usable in sites for emergency medical treatments such as blood transfusion is provided. The heating apparatus includes a flexible, thermal conductive member to contact with a heater, and is capable of efficiently heating an object being heated by bringing the object into contact with the thermal conductive member to have the thermal conductive member following a surface configuration of the object and closely contacting the object without a gap therebetween.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to an apparatus for heating a bodyat large, and more particular, to an apparatus for heating a fluid suchas a liquid or a gas, or a heating apparatus used for a weld machine ofpolyethylene, or the like.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] As a technique for heating a circulating liquid, for example,JP-A-2002-119586 describes extending a pipe, through which blood or thelike flows, in the water, and cooling or heating the water to performtemperature control of blood (Patent document 1, FIG. 1, or the like).That is, a bag-shaped receiving body provides therein a pipe andreceives therein a heat-exchanging fluid, the receiving body beingprovided with an inlet and a discharge outlet for the heat-exchangingfluid to afford circulation of the heat-exchanging fluid. Andtemperature control means for the heat-exchanging fluid is separatelyprovided outside of the receiving body whereby temperature control isperformed on the heat-exchanging fluid in the receiving body and furtheron blood, which passes through the pipe in the heat-exchanging fluid.Also, as a heat generating apparatus for melting snow at a branch pointin railway, JP-A-2000-58234 describes a technique, in which a heatgenerating body is interposed by synthetic resin sheets and a resultingproduct is pressed by an epoxy resin into a heat radiating body (Patentdocument 2).

[0005] [Patent document 1] JP-A-2002-119586

[0006] [Patent document 2] JP-A-2000-58234

[0007] In the technique described in Patent document 1, it is necessaryto separately prepare a heat-exchanging fluid having been controlled ata predetermined temperature, which is a work imposing a burden inemergency medical sites or the like, in which blood transfusion isneeded. Since the heat-exchanging fluid is large in amount and heatcapacity as compared with blood or the like, which is an object beingheated, heating means becomes large to need a predetermined time forwarming. In the technique described in Patent document 2, thermalefficiency in connection with the heat radiating body is enhanced sincea resin sheet and an epoxy resin are provided between the heatgenerating body and the heat radiating body. The heat radiating bodyitself is not an object being directly heated, but snow and hamburgerbrought into contact with the heat radiating body constitute an objectbeing heated, so that heating efficiency is not so much enhanced whencontact between such object being heated and the heat radiating body isnot adequate. In particular, when an object being heated is a gas or aliquid, which can be heated only through tube or the like, and when anobject being heated has a complex surface configuration, a gap is formedbetween a heating apparatus and the object being heated, whereby anefficient and stable heating is difficult to perform.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] It is an object of the invention to provide a heating apparatus,which is able to perform an efficient and stable heating, and simple andeasy to handle.

[0009] To solve the problem, the invention provides a heating apparatuscomprising a heater and a flexible, thermal conductive member, whichcontacts with the heater, and wherein an object being heated is broughtinto contact with the thermal conductive member to be heated. In theinvention, the heating apparatus comprises therein a space, in which acontainer containing a gas or a liquid is received, and the container isdetachable to permit a gas or a liquid to flow therethrough. Also, tosolve the problem, the invention provides a further heating apparatuscomprising a heater, a detachable container, through which a gas or aliquid flows, and a flexible, thermal conductive member, which contactswith the heater, and wherein the container is brought into contact withthe thermal conductive member to heat a gas or a liquid. It is possibleto use a silicone resin and fluororesin for the thermal conductivemember.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010]FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a state, in which a heatingapparatus according to the invention is opened;

[0011]FIG. 2 is an enlarged, cross sectional view showing heating means;

[0012]FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state, in which the heatingapparatus according to the invention is closed;

[0013]FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a cassette container for bloodtransfusion;

[0014]FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view showing the cassette container;and

[0015]FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a state of the heating apparatusin use.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] An embodiment of a heating apparatus according to the inventionwill be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan viewshowing a state, in which a heating apparatus 1 according to theinvention is opened. Two lids 2 a, 2 b are connected to each other byhinges 3 to be openable. The heating apparatus 1 comprises one or moreheating means, and a plurality of heating means 4 are provided on therespective lids 2 a, 2 b in the embodiment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged, crosssectional view showing heating means 4. The reference character 4 adenotes a heater, that is, heat generating means. The heat generatingmeans mainly uses a heater with electric resistance. And provided on anupper surface of the heater 4 a is a flexible, thermal conductive member4 b. The flexible, thermal conductive member in the invention sufficesto comprise a substance, which possesses thermal conductivity suited tousage for heating apparatuses, follows a surface configuration of anobject, being heated and contacted by the substance, to be deformed tobe able to closely contact the surface configuration without any gap,and does not flow in use. Accordingly, metal or the like, which is goodin thermal conductivity but hard and difficult to be deformed, isexcluded. For example, fluororesin, thermal conductive silicone, or thelike is suited to the purpose. The thermal conductive member 4 b isarranged to constitute a surface as shown in FIG. 1. Also, temperaturedetection means 5 such as thermocouple is provided. The heater 4 a andthe temperature detection means 5 are connected to a control device 6 tobe controlled to a predetermined temperature by means of control meanssuch as PID control.

[0017]FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state, in which the heatingapparatus 1 according to the invention is closed. FIG. 4 is a plan viewshowing a cassette container 10 for blood transfusion, and FIG. 5 is across sectional view showing the cassette container. The cassettecontainer 10 comprises therein a zigzag-shaped pipe, through which bloodflows, and is detachable from the heating apparatus 1. In FIG. 3, thecassette container 10 is interposed between the two lids 2 a, 2 b in asandwiched manner. As shown in FIG. 4, portions around the pipe servingas a flow passage for blood are thickened as compared with portionswithout the pipe, so that the cassette container 10 has a surfaceconfiguration with irregularities. Here, when heating means such asordinary metallic plate is used, it only contacts a top of the pipe, sothat a large gap is produced between the heating means and the cassettecontainer to degrade the heating efficiency. Heating becomes stable withthe lapse of time, in which case a cold blood is transfused into apatient until heating becomes stable, and so such state is notpreferable. Also, contact is more or less improved by working surfacesof heating means in conformity to the surface configuration of thecassette container, but such measure involves a limit and such work withhigh accuracy leads to an increase in cost. Further, assembly must bemade so that irregularities on the surfaces of the heating means, whichinterposes the cassette container from above and below, correspondcompletely to each other, and therefore it is difficult to realize asimple heating apparatus. Also, heating means is used plural times whilecassette containers are ordinarily throwaway, so that it is not possibleto fix and fill an epoxy resin or the like between the heating means anda cassette container.

[0018] According to the embodiment, since the flexible, thermalconductive member 4 b is provided on the upper surface of the heater 4a, the thermal conductive member 4 b follows a surface configuration ofthe cassette container 10 as shown in FIG. 5 to be deformed to closelycontact the surface configuration without any gap, so that heat of theheater 4 a is efficiently conducted to the cassette container 10 toraise blood, which passes through the pipe, to an appropriatetemperature (temperature near a body temperature) from the beginning.

[0019] Provided on an external surface of the lid 2 a are temperatureindication means 7, a light emitting diode 8 and an alarm buzzer 9.

[0020]FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a state of the heating apparatusin use. A pump 11 feeds a predetermined amount of blood to the cassettecontainer 10. A flow rate is appropriately selected according to asituation, in which blood transfusion is performed, and mainly in therange of 5 to 50 ml/min. Blood passing through the cassette container 10is heated by the heating apparatus 1. In the example, an electric powersource for the heating apparatus 1 supplies a direct current at 12 V,and so a battery power source for automobiles such as emergency cars isusable. In an environment of an AC power source, a power supply 12 isprovided outside to supply a direct current at 12 V. Thereby, there isno need of providing a large power supply within the heating apparatus 1and so it is possible to make the apparatus small in size. A powersupply for supplying of a direct current at 12 V is also used as a drivepower supply for the control device 6. In the example, five heaters andthree temperature detection means 5 are used to heat blood to atemperature near a body temperature while the control device performsPID control. Temperature detected by the temperature detection meansarranged most downstream is displayed on the temperature indicationmeans 7. Blood having passed through the heating apparatus 1 istransfused into a patient while maintained at an appropriatetemperature. In addition, with the example, when even one among thetemperature detection means 5 provided exceeds 40° C., abnormality isjudged to stop heating, light up the light emitting diode 8 and to soundthe alarm buzzer 9, thus issuing warning. When blood transfusion isterminated, the cassette container 10 is removed and the flexible,thermal conductive member 4 b is restored to a substantially originalconfiguration.

[0021] While the embodiment of the invention has been described by wayof heating of blood for transfusion, the invention is not limitedthereto. Heating of an infused substance in artificial dialysis,infusion of various medical fluids, or the like can be performed besidesblood transfusion. Also, the invention is applicable to thermal weldingof polyethylene film or the like. By covering an object with a packagefilm such as polyethylene film and heating the object by means of aheater through the flexible, thermal conductive member, it is possibleto have a package film following a surface configuration of the objectto efficiently heat the film in a closely adhered condition. Besides, itis possible to hold the flexible, thermal conductive member againstvarious objects having a complex surface configuration to efficientlyheat the objects, and by putting gaseous and liquid fluids in acontainer and holding the flexible, thermal conductive member againstthe container, it is possible to efficiently heat the fluids withoutbringing the fluids directly into contact with the heating apparatus.

[0022] As described above, the heating apparatus according to theinvention comprises a flexible, thermal conductive member adapted tocontact with a heater, and can bring an object being heated into contactwith the thermal conductive member to have the same following a surfaceconfiguration of the object being heated to bring the flexible, thermalconductive member into close contact with the object without a gap, thusefficiently heating the object. Since there is no need for any heatexchanging fluid and heating means therefor, it is possible to realize asimple heating apparatus, which is easy to handle, and of high utilityvalue in sites for emergency medical treatments such as bloodtransfusion.

What is claimed is:
 1. A heating apparatus comprising a heater and aflexible, thermal conductive member, which contacts with the heater, andwherein an object being heated is brought into contact with the thermalconductive member to be heated.
 2. The heating apparatus according toclaim 1, further comprising therein a space, in which a containercontaining a gas or a liquid is received.
 3. An heating apparatuscomprising a heater, a detachable container, through which a gas or aliquid flows, and a flexible, thermal conductive member, which contactswith the heater, and wherein the container is brought into contact withthe thermal conductive member to heat a gas or a liquid.
 4. The heatingapparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the thermalconductive member is made of a silicone resin.